The book which I read during the summer holidays is called Ghost Beach, the eighth story in a 35-story Goosebumps collection.

This book was very different from the other French texts that I have read, which consist of sports pages from newspapers and some football magazines!

Ghost Beach is translated into French by Marie-José Lamorlette from the original American text by R.L.Stine – the theme of the book is Passion for Reading.

It is about a boy (Jerry Sadler) and his sister (Susanne) who are spending their holidays with Brad (their cousin) and Agatha (his wife). Jerry and Susanne are enthused by this prospect, but things are not exactly as they seem…

Firstly, Jerry has a morbid nightmare, before Susanne and himself discover a gloomy cave. There they meet three other Sadlers: Sam (the eldest), Louisa, and Nic (the ‘baby’).

*The three Sadlers are scared of the cave*

Jerry finds a dog’s skeleton – “dogs know how to recognise ghosts”.

Louisa says that a ghost (Harrison Sadler {who in turn believes that Sam, Louisa and Nic are the “real ghosts”}) lives in this sanctuary.

*Sam, Nic, and Louisa say that the ghost must be trapped*

Finally, Susanne pushes the three Sadlers into the cave because she wants to know who is the real “ghost”. A dog barks at Sam, Louisa, and Nic, revealing that the three Sadlers are the ghosts… fortunately, the entrance is blocked after Jerry and Susanne have exited the cave – the ghosts and Harrison are killed. Jerry thinks that, “the mystery has been resolved”, but…

…When Brad and Agatha realize that Jerry and Susanne have killed the three Sadlers, Agatha says (in a menacing tone) to Brad, “What are we going to do with them?”

In my opinion, this book was very interesting. There was a lot of suspense, it was very evocative and the plot was marvellous; it reminded me of films such as The Matrix/The Faculty because it was so full of deception! So many exciting things happen in only 130 pages…

This book used many literary tenses, and I had to be very alert in order to understand it!

At the end of the book there is a snippet of story number seven, Forbidden Swimming, which allows you to continue your Passion for Reading.

To conclude, the sensation of goosebumps that I felt while reading this book was not as strong as when I watched The Exorcist, but it was a story that I thoroughly enjoyed! [^]

The book which I read during the summer holidays is called Le Fantôme de la Plage, or Ghost Beach in English.

The aim of the story is to give you chair de poule (or goosebumps). However, if one compares the cover of this book with the poster that I have brought of the film – and book – The Exorcist, I know which book I would find the most terrifying!

On the other hand, according to an ancient proverb, “you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover”.

There were times – a little bit like in our French lessons – when sections passed me by completely!

The story is about Jerry and Susanne Sadler, who are spending their holidays with their cousin, Brad, and his wife, Agatha, in New England.

At the beginning of the book, Jerry has a morbid nightmare, where he dreams that Susanne and himself are attacked by green hands erupting through the soil of a cemetery.

The mood of the story is very atmospheric.

Jerry and Susanne discover a gloomy cave, before making the acquaintance of three other Sadlers: Sam, Louisa, and Nic.

The three Sadlers are very scared of the cave. Louisa admits to Susanne that they believe that a ghost lives there.

Jerry finds a dog’s skeleton, and Nic (the youngest) says “Dogs know how to recognize ghosts…”

Jerry sees a flickering light in the cave, and Louisa says “It’s very dangerous. You must not attempt to climb up there.”

Jerry and Susanne decide to explore the cave. They are walking in the cave when the cave’s dark ceiling begins to split. It is at this exact moment that they see an old, pale, and terribly-thin man. He orders them to “Come here”, but Jerry and Susanne choose to flee!

Later on, Jerry and Susanne discover – bizarrely – the tombs of Sam, Louisa, and Nic in a cemetery full of deceased Sadlers. They all died in the 1640s.

The next time that Jerry and Susanne encounter the three Sadler infants, Sam is the instigator of a scheme aimed at trapping the ghost.

When Jerry and Susanne are in the process of blocking the entrance, the ghost exits and Sam, Louisa, and Nic can do nothing but run!

The ‘ghost’ says to Jerry and Susanne that the real phantoms are Sam, Louisa, and Nic! Furthermore, he says that he is called Harrison Sadler and that if they go to the north corner of the cemetery they will want to return straight away…

…At the north corner of the cemetery, Susanne and Jerry find two new tombs, with inscriptions saying “Jerry Sadler” and “Susanne Sadler”.

All of a sudden, Sam, Louisa, and Nic appear and demand to try and trap the ghost once more. Susanne says “Agreed. We will return there.”

Susanne says to Sam, Louisa, and Nic, “Jerry and I will only climb up in the cave if you come with us.” Thus, the three Sadler infants go to the entrance to the cave and when they get there Susanne pushes them into the cave…

Harrison Sadler is happy to see Sam, Louisa, and Nic, and he proves that the three Sadlers are actually the ghosts. He whistles and his dog duly arrives. Then his dog starts to bark at Sam, Louisa, and Nic – therefore, they are ghosts.

When it is evident that they are the ghosts, Sam, Louisa, and Nic transform from human beings into skeletons. Jerry and Susanne speedily exit the cave, before the wind and rain make the cave’s roof blocks collapse. “Harrison Sadler has given his life in capturing the young ghosts.”

Jerry says to Susanne, “The mystery is resolved. We need fear no more.”

Back at the house, Harrison Sadler’s dog shows up and starts to bark loudly at Brad and Agatha. Agatha says “Bad dog! You have revealed our secret!” Jerry and Susanne begin to understand, before Agatha turns towards Brad and says, “What are we going to do with these children now, Brad? What are we going to do with them?”{in a menacing tone} There we go!

Share this:

Like this:

35-year-old father of three wonderful children [William, Seth, and Alyssa]. Works as an Assistant Technical Officer in the Sterile Services Department of Treliske Hospital, Cornwall. Enjoys jogging, web design, being a bit of a geek, and supporting Arsenal FC. Obtained a BA degree in English from the University of Bolton in 2008, and has continued to gain qualifications in a diverse range of subjects thereafter.